A groundbreaking investigation into the propaganda justifying the fossil-fuel economy The
Language of Climate Politics offers readers powerful new ways to talk about the climate crisis
that will help create transformative change. "If you want to understand the climate crisis and
you only have time to read one book this should be it." - Kieran Setiya author of Life is
Hard "A revelatory study...It's a breath of fresh air." Publishers' Weekly Starred Review
In an illuminating analysis Dr. Genevieve Guenther shows that the climate debate is not in
fact neatly polarized with Republicans obstructing climate action and Democrats advancing
climate solutions. Partisans on the right and the left often repeat the same fossil-fuel
talking points and this repetition produces a centrist consensus upholding the status quo
even as global heating accelerates. Weaving this analysis through fascinating critical
histories of the terms that dominate the language of climate politics-the words we alarmist
cost growth "India and China " innovation and resilience-Dr. Guenther shows how this
consensus is established. Fossil-fuel interests weaponize the discourses of science economics
and activism co-opting and twisting climate language to help greenwash their plans for ongoing
extraction. But all too often climate scientists economists and even advocates will
unwittingly echo the false and dangerous assumptions of their supposed political opponents.
This apparent agreement between foes filtered through the news media not only influences our
common-sense yet mistaken views about the climate crisis but also enables powerful
decisionmakers to justify the corporate and policy actions that threaten us all. Revealing this
dynamic Guenther shows how to transform it. Ultimately The Language of Climate Politics is
an inspiring call to arms a book that equips readers with powerful new terms that will enable
them to fight more effectively for a livable future.
